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The drive home had been quieter than usual, though not uncomfortably so. Hyme had leaned against the window for a while, tail slowly curling, ears drooping with exhaustion. Somewhere in the middle of San's awkward glances and failed attempts to strike up small talk, Hyme had fallen completely asleep.
By the time they arrived, the driver glanced back and chuckled. "Looks like your highness is out cold."
San sighed. "Yeah, and he's not exactly light."
He got out, circled around the car, and gently opened the door. Hyme didn't stir even as San carefully reached in and lifted him bridal style. The hybrid's head naturally nestled against San's shoulder, his arms flopping against San's chest like a sleeping child's.
Inside the mansion, San laid Hyme down on the couch—only for the hybrid to unconsciously grab San's shirt and pull him down with him.
"…Seriously?" San whispered, but the moment he tried to move, Hyme clung tighter.
And just like that, San was stuck, Hyme half on top of him, their bodies pressed together like two plush toys in a child's arms. His tail curled lazily across San's waist, and his breath was warm against San's neck.
San swallowed. Hard.
"…This is not happening right now."
He hesitated, then reluctantly let his arm fall across Hyme's back to keep him from sliding off.
He was just about to relax when—
RING! RING!
San groaned loudly. "Kai, I swear to god—"
He fished out his phone and pressed the green button without checking, too lazy to care. He didn't realize it had automatically gone to speaker until it was too late.
"YO BRO!" Kai's voice blared through the room like a siren. "You coming to the party tonight?"
San flinched. "What party?"
"Your girl's birthday bash, duh!"
San blinked. "My who?"
"Your girlfriend's! You remember—oh wait, ex-girlfriend, right? Meh, same thing."
Hyme's ears twitched.
San's eyes shot open. He turned to look at Hyme—
Too late.
Golden eyes stared back at him. Not sleepy. Not amused. Just… pissed.
San scrambled. "No—no, not same thing! Definitely not the same thing! Kai, shut up!"
Hyme silently pushed himself up from San's chest, brushing off his shirt like he'd been covered in dirt. He didn't say a word.
"Hyme, wait—"
The hybrid was already walking away, tail flicking behind him like an angry flag.
"Hyme, it's not what it sounded like! I haven't talked to her in months!"
No reply.
The door slammed.
San sat up and buried his face in both hands. "Kai, I hope you trip and land on a cactus."
"Dude. Chill. What'd I do?"
San growled, "You caused me a hybrid-level disaster, you idiot."
"Was that Hyme? Wait—were you cuddling him again? Damn, bro, things are moving fast—"
San ended the call with a vicious jab at the screen.
The silence that followed was somehow louder than Kai's voice.
"…He's going to kill me," San muttered.
Then paused.
"…Or worse—refuse to talk to me at all."
And that, San realized, might be the worst punishment of all.
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